Local 10 News is holding its 13th annual Day of Giving on Friday, collecting food for seven hunger relief organizations that serve families across South Florida. The one-day drive runs from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. at participating Publix stores in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties.
Local 10 Community Relations Director Mayte Padron and other station personalities are making stops throughout the tri-county area, including a Publix in Kendall, where Joshua’s Heart Foundation was set to receive a surprise.
Among the groups is the S.O.S. Foundation in Key Largo, which runs a weekly food pantry for about 200 families. The station said grocery bills there run up to 15% higher than the national average. A pantry client named Veronica, a mother of two toddlers, said the food helps her cover utility bills.
Manna-Share-A-Meal in Davie holds a food distribution every Saturday, serving about 50 families a week. The group has operated for more than three decades without government assistance. Board chair Jordan Marrale said volunteers pray for each person who receives food.
Joshua’s Heart Foundation, which has operated since 2005, has distributed more than 10 million pounds of food. Its members are mostly young volunteers, according to co-head of marketing Camila Arango.
Donations can be made in person at the participating stores, where volunteers from each nonprofit will be present. Viewers can also give online through the Local 10 Fund at The Miami Foundation, noting “Day of Giving” on the form. The station said 100 percent of those gifts will go to the nonprofits.
